Royal Dublin Society (RDS)

Founded in 1731, by the Dublin Philosophical
Society, as the "Dublin Society for improving Husbandry, Manufactures
and other Useful Arts", the Society became "Royal" in 1820
when King George IV became its patron. The initial role of the Royal Dublin
Society - or Cumann Ríoga Bhaile Atha Cliath (CRBAC) - was to promote
the advancement of arts, industry and science within the 32 counties.
Through its exhibitions and schools, it played an important part in developing
visual arts in Ireland, during the eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries, in particular by assisting young and emerging
Irish artists.

The Society moved into its present premises
(in Ballsbridge, Dublin) in 1879, since which
time its area had grown from fifteen to forty acres. The total RDS campus
now comprises numerous exhibition halls and a stadium, and operates as
a major centre for shows, exhibitions, concerts and other cultural events,
including visual arts.

The Royal Dublin Society Art Schools

In 1746, the Dublin Society began subsidising
a private drawing school in George's Lane
(now called George's Street) run by Robert West. Talented but impoverished
art students had their fees paid by the Society in an attempt to encourage
the advancement of Irish fine art. Four years later, the Society took
over the School completely and incorporated it into its other teaching
establishments. Rooms were allocated for a figure
drawing school at the Society's premises at Shaw's Court, Dame Street,
with Robert West himself becoming Master of the School. Other Society
schools established during this period included the Landscape and Ornament
School, and the Architectural School in 1759.

Until 1800, the Dublin Society received
an annual grant from the Irish Parliament in Dublin, which included financial
support for its schools. As part of the Society's continuing efforts to
strengthen Irish painting and Irish
sculpture, it awarded annual prizes to its best pupils, and to Irish
artists at large.

After 1800, the RDS grant was paid by the
Westminster Parliament. Unfortunately, London was less sympathetic to
the benevolence and art education of the Society and sought to impose
more control.

Until 1811, there remained only the three
schools: (1) RDS School of Figure Drawing; (2) RDS School of Landscape
and Ornamental Drawing; (3) RDS School of Architectural Drawing. Then,
in 1811 an additional school was established - the RDS School of Modelling
- directed by the Irish sculptor Edward Smyth. As well as these formal
schools, the RDS networked with a number of commercial workshops.

In fact, except for the School of Modelling,
the RDS art schools taught drawing only, either by means of drawing nudes,
the plaster antique, or by copying prints and drawings. There was no painting.

In 1815, the Society relocated to Leinster
House - converting the stables into schools - and five years later became
the Royal Dublin Society. In 1827, a larger more permanent school was
constructed, topped by a gallery which was used to exhibit the Society's
educational collection of sculpture and painting. This building remains
in use as the Leinster Lane annex of the present NCAD College.

More changes were imposed by London in
1849 and 1854. These redirected the school away from fine art and towards
design education. At this time, fine art was seen as the responsibility
of the Royal Hibernian Academy,
rather than the RDS School of Art.

In 1877, London removed the School from
the Royal Dublin Society and established it as the Dublin Metropolitan
School of Art - a state-run school run by the Department of Science and
Art which also managed the main Irish Library and Museum and certain other
cultural institutions in Ireland. Then, during the 1900s, the School was
expanded to include craft classes, (eg. stained
glass, enamels, metalwork) and a life class, taught initially by Sir
William Orpen, one of the great academic painters in the history
of Irish art.

Finally, in 1936, the Metropolitan School
of Art metamorphosed into the National College of Art with teaching faculties
of painting, sculpture
and design. Additional departments of weaving, ceramics
and metalwork were instituted in the 1950s.

In 1971, following controversy over teaching
methods and standards at the College, it was re-established as the National
College of Art and Design. Its departmental structure included: a
Fine Arts Faculty (including, Painting, Fine
Art Printmaking and Sculpture); a Faculty of Design (including, Craft,
Textiles, Industrial Design and Visual Communication); a History
of Art Faculty and a Faculty of Education and Extra Mural Studies.
At present, all undergraduate courses are at degree level. In 1998, the
National College of Art and Design awarded its first PhD.

 For facts about culture in Ireland,
see: Homepage.
 For a personal view of the top 20 contemporary fine art painters
in Ireland, see: Best Irish
Artists.
 For details of museums and contemporary arts venues, see: Irish
Art Galleries.